Celebrating Easter

 

With the war in the Middle East, it’s unlikely that anyone celebrated Easter at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem this year.* In fact, its website says the tomb is closed until further notice “due to the current situation.”

Nobody knows exactly where Jesus’ body was laid after His death, and the Garden Tomb is only one of several possible sites. Still, I celebrated Easter there in 1958 and, as a seven-year-old, I thought it was an awesome experience. I’m sure it would be even more moving as an adult. So it’s too bad that nobody is celebrating there this year.

Still, it is the event, not the place, that matters.

The important thing is that Christ died for our sins and then rose again. To paraphrase Paul in 1 Corinthians 15, if He hadn’t risen, we would still be dead in our sins. Or, to put it in the words of the chorus of the hymn “This Joyful Eastertide” by George Woodward (also taken from 1 Corinthians 15):

Had Christ, who once was slain,

Not burst his three-day prison,

Our faith had been in vain;

But now has Christ arisen, arisen, arisen;

But now has Christ arisen!

 

Alleluia! Christ is risen! Alleluia!

__________

* My father took the photo at the top of this post on Easter Sunday, 1958, as we attended service at the Garden Tomb.

How the Old Masters Saw Easter

 

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The picture at the beginning of this post was painted by Carl Heinrich Bloch in 1881. It is a very typical Easter image, showing Jesus emerging from the tomb and being worshiped by angels. This is a logical depiction since Revelation makes it clear that angels worship the risen Christ.

There were many witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection after the fact, meaning that they saw the living Christ in the flesh. There is no record of human witnesses to the actual resurrection, however. The closest we come to that is in Matthew 28:1-6, but even there it appears that the soldiers guarding the tomb and women who came to give Him a proper burial saw an angel of the Lord rather than THE angel of the Lord (which is the term used to refer to Christ himself).

Here is the Matthew passage, quoted from the ESV.

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come see the place where he lay.”

This painting (circa 1700) by Noël Coypel is probably meant to depict the Matthew account. As mentioned above, there is no evidence that human eyes actually witnessed Jesus rise from the dead, but I like the way the painting shows the power of Jesus’ resurrection.

I’ll end this series with “Three Marys at the Tomb,” painted by Peter von Cornelius sometime in the early 1800s.

Both Mark and Luke mention that three women came to the tomb, but only two of them were named Mary. Regardless of their names, however, women were the first to hear the good news, and they hurried off to tell the others.

I want to be that kind of witness.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

__________

These works of art are all in the public domain because of their age.

 

From Criminal to Conqueror

 

This post is reprinted from April 2, 2018 and April 9, 2012.

__________

On Easter morning 1958, I attended the Easter service at the Garden Tomb. That’s when my father took this picture.

The service was in Arabic, so I didn’t understand any of it. Also, the tomb’s authenticity is questionable. Still, it was a great setting to celebrate a man who died as a criminal and rose as a conqueror.

To use Paul’s words from I Corinthians 15:54-57:

“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

In his rising, Jesus conquered death and sin.

That’s something I could never have done. I’m responsible for the sin, but not for the victory.

A victory he obtained for me and for you at great cost to himself.

And I’m grateful.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

Alleluia!

Victory Over Death

 

Yesterday was Easter, which celebrates Christ’s victory over death. But He didn’t do it for Himself. He conquered death for me. Oh yes, I’ll still die physically, but my life will go on in wonderful ways I can’t even begin to imagine.

That’s why I want an Easter hymn at my funeral. In particular, I want “The Strife is O’er, the Battle Done.”

It’s an old hymn with an anonymous author, and it first appeared in a 1695 hymn collection called Symphonia Sirenum Selectarum. Francis Potts translated it into English in 1859.

Each stanza of the hymn has three parts. The first deals with Christ’s battle with the forces of evil, the second with His victory over them, and the third with our praises. Each verse ends with “Alleluia,” and the hymn itself begins and ends with a string of three Alleluias. Depending on the hymnal, there are minor differences in the words, however. Here they are from The Lutheran Service Book:

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

The strife is o’er, the battle done;

Now is the victor’s triumph won;

Now be the song of praise begun.

Alleluia!

The pow’rs of death have done their worst,

But Christ their legions hath dispersed.

Let shouts of holy joy outburst.

Alleluia!

The three sad days have quickly sped,

He rises glorious from the dead.

All glory to our risen Head!

Alleluia!

He broke the age-bound chains of hell;

The bars from heav’n’s high portals fell.

Let hymns of praise His triumph tell.

Alleluia!

Lord, by the stripes which wounded Thee,

From death’s dread sting Thy servants free

That we may live and sing to Thee.

Alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Of course, Christ didn’t just die for me. He died for you, too. Even if you don’t use this hymn at your funeral, I pray it will resound there.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Alleluia!

__________

The picture at the top of this post shows a relief on the exterior of Helsinki Cathedral. I took the photo on our trip to Finland in 2019 as part of a Baltic cruise.

Easter Joy

 

Once of my favorite Easter hymns is “The Strife is O’er,” and I’ve left instructions to sing it at my funeral. The words are reproduced below. Some versions include three alleluias sung at the beginning and at the end of the hymn.

The strife is o’er, the battle done,
The victory of life is won;
The song of triumph has begun:
Alleluia!
 
The pow’rs of death, have done their worst,
But Christ their legions hath dispersed;
Let shouts of holy joy outburst:
Alleluia!
 
The three sad days have quickly sped,
He rises glorious from the dead;
All glory to our risen head:
Alleluia!
 
He closed the yawning gates of hell,
The bars from heav’ns high portals fell;
Let hymns of praise His triumphs tell:
Alleluia!
 
Lord, by the stripes which wounded Thee,
From death’s dread sting Thy servants free,
That we may live and sing to Thee:
Alleluia!

God give you Easter joy.

__________

 The painting at the top of this post is “The Resurrection” by Carl Heinrich Bloch. He painted it in 1881 and it is in the public domain because of its age.

What a Difference a Year Makes--Or Does It?

 

Last year at this time there were no in-person Easter services or congregational Easter breakfast and my choir was on hiatus. This year was still off. As with last year, there was no Easter breakfast at church. The choir didn’t sing an anthem because our director is recovering from a serious case of COVID-19. But things have improved. We had in-person services and the choir participated by singing a couple of hymn verses.

COVID restrictions are still in place, and I’m not sure what effect they had on attendance. You can see from the photo that family groups are still socially distanced from other family groups and the section on the left-hand side is masked for the entire service. (Everyone is required to wear masks to and from their seats, but the other sections can remove them during the service.) In former times, all of the seats would have been filled at this particular service on Easter instead of having the empty pews in between.

But the real meaning of Easter was the same two years ago and last year and this year and forever. Easter and every other Sunday (and every day) reminds us that Christ died and rose for sinners like us. Like me. As it says in Romans 5:8-11 (NIV):

⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! ¹⁰ For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ¹¹Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

__________

I took the picture from the choir loft at the 9:30 a.m. service during the sermon I was hearing for the third time.

Nothing Can Stop Easter

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Holy Week and Easter were a disappointment in many ways. Singing in the choir at Easter services and attending Easter breakfast at church have always been highlights of my year, and I missed them greatly. But we can still celebrate what Christ has done for us without all the trappings we have come to expect.

In some ways, Holy Week is the perfect time to suffer through a pandemic. Our suffering reminds us that we suffer because we are sinners. We deserve the effects of this fallen world—including the coronavirus and the current restrictions. But Christ was tempted like we are, yet without sin. [Hebrews 4:15] His suffering was undeserved but chosen. He died to save us from the consequences of our sin. Our suffering during Holy Week reminds us of His suffering and makes us grateful for His agonizing death on the cross and glorious resurrection.

This year I watched my son-in-law’s Easter Sunrise service and joined in with the liturgy and hymns. After that, I watched my own church’s service, again joining in with the liturgy and hymns. Then I had a breakfast somewhat similar to the Easter morning ones served at church in past years. I even dressed up in a new Easter outfit.

Was it the same as worshiping with and enjoying the fellowship of my fellow Christians in other years? Of course not. I miss the physical interaction with my friends and the entire congregation. But it was still a celebration of Christ’s victory over death, and that’s what Easter is all about.

Nothing can stop Easter. The Pharisees tried to kill Jesus, and so—reluctantly—did the Roman authorities. Satan probably danced for joy while Jesus hung on the cross. But none of them succeeded in the end. As it says in 1 Corinthians 15:54b-57 (ESV):

“Death is swallowed up in victory. ⁵⁵O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 

⁵⁶The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷But thanks be to God, who gives the us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

As we celebrate Easter this year, I am reminded of one of my favorite Bible passages. It’s always good to remember Romans 8:35-39, but it seems especially appropriate right now. So my Easter post will leave you with Paul’s words as taken from the English Standard Version.

³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger or sword? ³⁶As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long,

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

__________

The picture is a stone relief on the exterior of the Helsinki Cathedral in Helsinki, Finland. I took the photo during a trip there in 2019.

Easter Memories

Easter has always been a special day for me, starting with the four years we lived at LaPrairie, Illinois. Each Easter, Daddy took a picture of us in front of the manse’s bay window. I was just a little girl, and although I have some good memories of living in LaPrairie, I don’t remember anything else about those early Easters.

It was different when we moved to DeTour Village, Michigan. There was no bay window, and I’m only aware of the one Easter photo taken in our living room the first year. But I have fond memories of the Easters we spent there.

Those seven Easters all followed the same routine. We started the day with a sunrise service, which had its own sermon and hymn selection. That was followed by a congregational breakfast. Then there was a break, during which we went back home and searched for the hard-boiled eggs we had decorated the night before. After adding them to the jelly beans in our cereal bowls (we each had our own color), we headed back to church for Sunday School and the regular Easter service.

When I grew up, married, and had children, Easter still had a pattern. We attended the 7:00 a.m. service, followed by a congregational breakfast. However, there were two major differences from my childhood Easters. First, Caroline and John did their Easter egg hunt as soon as they got up because the choir sang at multiple services and they would have been too impatient to wait until I got home. Second, the 7:00 a.m. service had the same liturgy, hymns, and sermon as the later ones. I miss having two distinct services on Easter morning, and I probably always will.

The children are grown up, now, but I still sing in the choir and eat breakfast at church between services. It’s a nice tradition.

Easter is far more than a tradition, however. Easter is the day we celebrate Christ’s resurrection. As it says in I Corinthians 15:17-20 (ESV):

¹⁷And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. ¹⁸Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ¹⁹If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

²⁰But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

ALLELUIA!

From Criminal to Conqueror

This post is reprinted from April 9, 2012.

__________

On Easter morning 1958, I attended the Easter service at the Garden Tomb. That’s when my father took this picture.

The service was in Arabic, so I didn’t understand any of it. Also, the tomb’s authenticity is questionable. Still, it was a great setting to celebrate a man who died as a criminal and rose as a conqueror.

To use Paul’s words from I Corinthians 15:54-57:

“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

In his rising, Jesus conquered death and sin.

That’s something I could never have done. I’m responsible for the sin, but not for the victory.

A victory he obtained for me and for you at great cost to himself.

And I’m grateful.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

Alleluia!

The True Meaning of Chistmas

“Wait a second,” you say. “The true meaning of Christmas? Aren’t you getting your holidays mixed up?”

No. I wrote what I wrote, and I’m sticking to it.

Christmas isn’t about gifts or decorations or family dinners. It is about the birth of a baby who was fully God and yet fully man—about God’s only Son humbling Himself and becoming like me (except without sin, which is a HUGE difference).

But the baby we celebrate at Christmas came with a special mission. Although He came to live among us for a while, His ultimate purpose was to die a painful and dishonorable death. A death He didn’t deserve—but we do. A death followed by a resurrection that He deserved—but we don’t. Or, to put it in Sunday School terms, Jesus died on the cross to save us (me and you) from our sins. But death wasn’t the end. It couldn’t hold Him, and it won’t hold us. Jesus’ resurrection is proof that He is God, and it assures me that I will live eternally with Him.

I don’t understand why God chose to do things this way, but I’m grateful He did.

If Christ had not come to earth as a baby, we would have no reason to celebrate Easter.

That’s why the true meaning of Christmas is Easter.

CHRIST IS RISEN!

HE IS RISEN INDEED!

ALLELUIA!

_________

This is a reprint from April 5, 2010.

Mama's First Easter in Heaven

Sunday will be my mother’s first Easter in heaven. No, that’s not true. Every day is Easter in heaven, and she’s been celebrating since December 15.

Mama donated her body to the University of Michigan Medical School, so there was no funeral. Instead, my brothers and I planned a memorial service to fit into our families’ existing schedules, which is what Mama would have wanted.

We celebrated Mama’s earthly life and death on March 16 at First Presbyterian Church in Holland, Michigan, where she sang in the choir for more than thirty years. That’s Mama on the far right of the picture.

There were several things that I found memorable about her memorial service. I’m very happy for Mama, but my eyes did tear up when the choir sang. As I looked that way, I noticed that Mama’s empty chair was draped with a robe and a stole. Afterwards, someone told me that they had looked for and used the robe with her number. I can’t tell you how much that meant to me.

Seeing the robe also affected my niece, Rachel, as she sang Mama’s favorite solo—“I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked” by Geoffrey O’Hara. When Rachel got up to sing, she noticed the empty chair with the robe and stole and choked up. She recovered by the second verse and made it through the third, as well, with one small falter right at the end. I hope she realizes how affecting her performance was.

I have the memorial bulletin with the skeleton of the service, but there were a couple of other incidents that I want to remember. One was at the beginning, where Mama’s pastor walked over to the baptismal font and poured water into it while noting that Mama had been a child of God ever since her baptism. Rev. Knieriemen said something like, “perhaps in a Presbyterian church,” noticed me shaking my head, and asked for the denomination. I was pretty sure it was Congregational but I wasn’t positive, so I was glad that my younger brother answered the question.

My younger brother also gave the meditation. At several points, Gordon said, “Presbyterians [or Calvinists] believe . . .” We were raised Presbyterian, and Gordon is a Presbyterian minister. But I married a Lutheran and joined his church, and we raised our children in that denomination. I even have a Lutheran minister for a son-in-law. So whenever Gordon said “Presbyterians believe” or “Calvinists believe,” the Camps and Ills all thought, “so do Lutherans,” “so do Lutherans,” “so do Lutherans.” When asked about it afterwards, Gordon said he thought Lutherans might agree but he didn’t have time to look it up and he wanted to make sure he didn’t misrepresent what we believe. That’s a worthy intent, but we still kidded him about it.

The only other glitch in the service came with the first hymn, which was “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.” We grew up with the tune “Diadem,” and that’s what Mama wanted. Unfortunately, there was a miscommunication somewhere. The organist played, and the congregation sang, the more common tune “Coronation.” But it’s still a great hymn, and I’m sure Mama no longer cares which tune we used.

Memorial services are a good way to bring closure to family and friends, but there is no closure for Mama. She’s living an eternal Easter.

And that’s something to celebrate.



Hallelujah!

I've performed the "Hallelujah" chorus with several choirs, singing alto at times and soprano at other times. But I hadn't sung it in years--probably not since I joined my current church in 1979.

Then our small amateur choir of four sopranos, three altos, three tenors, and four basses sang it at two services yesterday. Our first performance was far from perfect, but we got through it. While still not perfect, the second was better, especially since we had assistance from two violins and a couple of former choir members who had sung it recently. And it did have the joyful feel and message that are really the point.

Although the words and the music are familiar, it's surprising how little people really know about this chorus. Take the name, for example. Almost everyone calls it the "Hallelujah Chorus," but technically it is simply a chorus titled "Hallelujah."

It isn't even an Easter chorus. It is in Part II of The Messiah, an oratorio by G.F. Handel. Part II covers not only Christ's death and resurrection but also his ascension, his reception in heaven, the preaching of the Gospel, and the world's rejection of that Gospel. Part II culminates in the "Hallelujah" chorus, which rejoices in the knowledge that God is in control. As you read the words, however, you will notice that they talk about God's kingship, not Christ's resurrection.

Hallelujah! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ: and He shall reign for ever and ever. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Hallelujah!

Some people would also be surprised to learn that the "Hallelujah" chorus is not the last song in The Messiah. It is followed by three airs, two recitatives, a duet, and three more choruses. These come in Part III, which celebrates God's final judgment and victory over death.

But in spite of all that, the "Hallelujah" chorus is perfect for Easter. If God were not King of Kings and Lord of Lords, there would have been no resurrection and we would be lost in our sins. We may not fully experience the victory until the times celebrated in Part III of The Messiah, but the battle was won when Christ rose from the dead.

Hallelujah!

From Criminal to Conqueror

On Easter morning in 1958, I attended the Easter service at the Garden Tomb. That's when my father took this picture.

The service was in Arabic, so I didn't understand any of it. Also, the tomb's authenticity is questionable. Still, it was a great setting to celebrate a man who died as a criminal and rose as a conqueror.

To use Paul's words from I Corinthians 15:54-57:

"Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

In  his rising, Jesus conquered death and sin.

That's something I could never have done. I'm responsible for the sin, but not the victory.

A victory he obtained for me and for you at great cost to himself.

And I'm grateful.

CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

ALLELUIA!

The Best Meal of All

Many people leave church on Easter Sunday and head for a family gathering over food. Roland and I usually do, too. But this year our children weren't able to come home, and Roland's sisters went to Missouri to spend the weekend with his parents. Since the choir sang once on Friday and twice on Sunday, I couldn't go, and Roland chose to stay home with me. So we spent Easter alone together.

Well, not really.

We spent Easter morning with God's family and shared a banquet with them. A banquet prepared by God himself.

God invites us to the best meal of our lives. The appetizer was God's promise to send a Messiah, the soup is internal peace, the salad is faithfulness, the main course is Lamb seasoned with love and forgiveness, the dessert is heaven, and the wine that flows freely throughout the meal is grace.

Yes, Roland and I like to spend Easter Sunday with our biological family, but that isn't what Easter is about. It's about being with God's family and sharing the best meal of all. A meal we are still eating.

Won't you join us?

Christ is risen!

He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The True Meaning of Christmas

"Wait a second," you say. "The true meaning of Christmas? Aren't you getting your holidays mixed up?"

No. I wrote what I wrote, and I'm sticking to it.

Christmas isn't about gifts or decorations or family dinners. It is about the birth of a baby who was fully God and yet fully man--about God's only Son humbling Himself and becoming like me (except without sin, which is a HUGE difference).

But the baby we celebrate at Christmas came with a special mission. Although He came to live among us for a while, His ultimate purpose was to die a painful and dishonorable death. A death He didn't deserve--but we do. A death followed by a resurrection that He deserved--but we don't. Or, to put it in Sunday School terms, Jesus died on the cross to save us (me and you) from our sins. But death wasn't the end. It couldn't hold Him, and it won't hold us. Jesus' resurrection is proof that He is God, and it assures me that I will live eternally with Him.

I don't understand why God chose to do things this way, but I'm grateful that He did.

If Christ had not come to earth as a baby, we would have no reason to celebrate Easter.

That's why the true meaning of Christmas is Easter.

CHRIST IS RISEN!

HE IS RISEN INDEED!

ALLELUIA!